Point of View

The novel is written from the main character Ruben Blum’s first person point of view. The author establishes Ruben’s point of view as integral to the narrative’s central conflicts and explorations within the opening passages of Chapter 1. Ruben begins his account by introducing himself in the following manner: “My name is Ruben Blum and I’m an, yes, an historian. Soon enough, though, I guess I’ll be historical. By which I mean I’ll die and become history myself, in a rare type of transformation traditionally reserved for the purer scholars” (11, Cohen's italics). Before identifying himself as a husband, a father, or even as a Jewish man, Ruben identifies himself as a scholar and a historian. In this way, he establishes his interests in distinguishing his personal identity from his cultural and religious origins. Indeed, he goes on to say that...